Electric meter.



No. 816,922. PATENTED APR. s, 1906.

3. 0. LANPHIER.

ELECTRIC METER.

Arrmonron nun) mu. 0, 1904.

mums-5mm 1.

mvsriron Pa e r'f Lan/wke r.

ATTORNEYS of said motor are indicatedfin a tram of Wheels oron anysuitablerecording 'ClGVlCG.

' affecting the resistance of the circuits of the To all whom it mayconcern:

the class in which an electric motor is embetween the current I forththe same as applied to a motor wherein .the tongue-producing iield isdue to a magnet -field or fields maintained by the current devidesi aready means if. i

barren arr "rides.

sonnet c. LANPrnEn, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

maritime ins-ran.

NO- 8l6,922. Specification of Letters Patent. latented April 3, 1906.

hpplication filed. March 9, 1904. Serial No. 197.30

j t ing or light-load torque. This part of he in- Be it known that l,lionnn'r C. Lasrinnn, yention consists, substantially, in so connectacitizen of the United States, and aresident 4 ing up the shunt orpressure coils which proof Springfield, in the county of Sangamen andduce the field that current shall flow through State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new the armature or disk and through said field anduseful Improvements in Electric Meters, coils independently of'the loador Work, thus of which the following is a specification. generating moreor less reacton on no load y inventionrelates to electric meters of andtending tooverc'ome friction. This part of the invention alsoconsists incombinin with'the disk or armature asuitable shunt around the terminalsthereof and means for connecting the terminalof the pressure-fieldmovements of the armature ployed, and the registry the distribution ofwhich shall flow through the armature and through saidpressure-fieldcoil circuit inseries, thereby making it possible toadjustthe light-load starting torque.

My invention is designed more particularly toimprove the action andprovide convenient ad ustment, under certain conditions hereinafter setforth, in that class of meters wherein the motor element consists of arotary plate or shaft of metal oi' any desired form,.preferably in theiormoi a disk, and rotatingin a conducting lir uid like mercury, thetorque being produced bythe reaction assing through .the d a suitablemagnetic speed adjustment two torqueroducin armature-circuits and meansfor ac j usting t e proportion of current in said paths or circuits. Incarrying out mercury and dplate an this part of my invention fieldreduce b a mamet Whose poles: are 7 tor ueroducin armature circuitsor)aths p 1 y b i q k), I presented to the plate or disk, as Wellunderadapter respectively, toproduce dlflerent stood in the arts One ofthe objects of my invention is to rovide a simple correction orcompensation for the starting friction or for the factor oi" frictionunder light loads. j

Another object of my invention is. to provide means'for adjusting themain speed of the motor'for heavy loads. U

A further object is to provide a correction or compensation for changesof temperature torques and provide suitable adjustable resistancesoutside the armature for varying or adjusting the proportion of thecurrent flowing in said paths respectively.

Another part of my invention 'relates to a compensation or correctionfor changes, of temperature, and, briefly stated, consists of thecombination with the armature-eircuit of a branchbr multiple pathcomprisin a resistance metal that has a different ooe icient from thatof the path for the current through the armature, these multiple pathsbeing so proportioned or adjusted that the change in the distribution ofcurrent due to a change of motor, so as to cause the motor to run eithertoo slow or too fast. M In describing my invention I shall set thetendency of the meter to run sow or "an, as the easejmay befwhe'n thetemperature and resistance of the armaturepath is changed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section showin theconstituent parts'of the motor itself anrlsome of the associatecircuits. Fig. 2 is a general diagram of circuits and Tap aratusembodying my invention. Fig. 311 ustrates a modification in themeans'for securing a correction for changes of temperature.

Referring to the drawin athe usual liquidtight case for araotor of thety e already described isindicated at A; while C indicates supplie withcurrent from the constant-p0 tential mains, that also supply current'tothe Work the consumption of current in which is to be measured, thework-current being carried through thcdisk or plate of metal and mercuryand passed through the magnetic rived-from the constant-potential mains.

The first part of my invention consists in an improved means forgivingal'neter of this general type a starting torque or a torque which shallcompensate for the friction on light load} This part of my inventionalso profor adjusting this start- My -1nvention consists, further, in amain I employ twov coil circuit thereto at variable points tovarycurrents and the amount comprising substantially temperature will besuch as to com ensate for a the rotary metal plate or disk immersedinthey would have if the voltage were at all mercury or other suitableconducting liquid times constant. As, however, mpractice the containedin the casing A, throu h which voltage'varies, acom ensation'is govidedto disk and the contained mercur the oad-curkeep the action of themagnets constant 5 rent or fixed fraction of the oad-current is despite'variat'ons of voltage and this com- '70 passed by means ofsuitableleads or termipensation is afforded, as described more parnals E E,which may be embedded in the ticularlyinmy application, Ser1alNo.187,111, casing and project through the walls thereof filed December 30,1903, by a variable reinto contact with liquid, as well understoodsistance comprising one or more sections R to in the art. R throwninto.and out of circuit with the 75 B indicates the magnet whichprovides the coils V by means of controlling-electromagmagnetic fieldand which may be a horseshoe nets G, so connected to the circuit as tovary 1 i or other form of electromagnet having its in their effect withthe voltage, and each havpoles in close proximity to the armature, foring the retractor of its armature H so adjust- :5 which pur ose they maybe embedded in the ed that they will respond consecutively to 80 floororwa of the casi in the usual manner. consecutive increases of voltage.The coils It is convenient or inaril to have the arehigh-resistan'cecoils; ut,if desired, poles (represented, respective y, by letters Nadditional artificial resistance B may beinin the diagram) presented tothe armature troduced in the circuit with them' and with 20 'on adiametrical line including the center of the-pressure-coilsV V for themotor. Under '85 rotation of the disk and atopposite sides of ordinarycoriditions-thatis to say, when the thecenter, as shown, in which casethe torque voltage on the mains is at normal-the. secof the rotatingmember will be due to the tions of resistanceR' R are both out out ofcombined reaction between both of said poles circuit on the back contactof the armatures A 2 5 and the current circulating diametrically H.Assumin that the normal voltage is, go through the disk or armature andcontained say, one hun ed, the upper magnet of the mercury. As wellunderstood in the art, tier or the armature thereof' would be soadhowever, the direction or path of the current justed as to act at,say, one hundred and depends u on the relative polarity and dlS- threevolts, thus cuttingm oneof the sections 0 position 0 the magnet-poles,and such dispoof resistance and restoring the efiect of the 5 sition andpolarity may obviously be varied ma nets B to that which would be thenorwithout departing from my invention. ma? effect with the normalvoltage.' At a The energizin -coils of said magnet B are furtherincrease of voltage'say to one hunrepresented at and these are pressureor dred and six volts-the second magnet G 5 shunt coils excited bycurrent from the conwould act andcut in another section of re-- roostant-potential mains in the usual manner. sistance, with the sameeffect, and so on for In conjunction with the poles of the ma'gothervoltages magnets, and sections of renet B an iron plate or armature'Bmay be apsistanee, the eiiect being in each case to inplied over thedisk and have projections extroduce a correction for the increase ofvol- I 40 tending down into close proximity to the uptage across themains from which the ener- 1o}: per face thereof opposite the poles ofthe gizing-current of the coils V V is derived, so magnet B, so as toproduce a magnetic ciras to regulate the strength of the field procuithaving narrow gaps, in which the disk duced by said coil andkeen itpractically conrotates and so that the ,current su plied, stant. Inthe dagram t e mains a a, con- 5 through the leads or terminals E E sha 1flow nected to dynamo or other source b, furnish 1 m in a manner to setup a torque or tendency to current to a load typified at Zm as lamps androtation of the armature and contained liqmotors. In that diagram themain-entrance uid. osts for the load-current are indicated at L S inFig. 1 indicates a coil or coils suitably across which is connected anysort of va- 5o wound and traversed by the load-current inriable-resistance device, which in order to ac- 115 such manner as totend to oppose the eflect eomplish other objects hereinafter referred toof the coilsV and cut down the strength of the I prefer to make of somemetal which has no field in which the armature rotates. Thesetemperature coeflicient or a negative coefiicoils are connected intocircuit, as shown in cient. B the circuits between the terminals 55 thediagrams, or in any other suitable man- L L it wi l be seen that thedisk C of the mo- 12o ner, and their oflice is to compensate for the toris included in the circuit from L to L and tendency of the class ofmotors herein shown that the circuit continues from the latter anddescribed to run slow with increasing through the load to the oppositemain 0. The load. This coil, applied and operatingas just shuntconnectionwhich takes place in the 50 stated, however, forms no part ofmy present pressure-coils V may be tapped in by a con- 12 5 1 6 5 themeter s ould have a constant e invention. The coils V being operated bynection P ahead of the dis G-as, for in- 1 current taken from theconstantotential stance, by bringing the connection up close to mainsnecessaril depend for their e ect upon the point L it is obvious thatwhen no load is that volta e an for the perfect operation of on or whenthere is very little load there ect,which would be no reaction betweenthe shunt-field 13o will e a reaction, which, even if there be no loadon, will give a starting torque, which i may be adjusted to besufficient to overcome terminal Lor'near some point of practicallythesame potential as the lead E, it is evident high resistance R in serieswith them to cut the terminal L to K. Forthe the starting friction ormay be adjusted to compensate for the greater value of-the factor offriction at light loads than at heavy loads. 4 This adjustment, in casethe bar T be a resistance-bar, can obviously be effected b moving oradjustin the terminal P, which maybe a rider or sli e adjustable on thebar, so as to vary the roportion of shunt-current passing through t edisk C and shunt-coils V in series. So far as this part of my inventionis concerned the bar T and the rider or slide P ty ify simply anymeansfor variably shunt ing t e current into the pressure-coil circuit V. Thebar T should ordinarily be of somewhati'higher resistance than the disk-cir cult-say one-halt ohm resistance.

If the connection were made nearer the that none of the current passingthrou h coilsVwill pass through the disk 0; but if t e connectionberrnade near the terminal L or atsomepoint approximating the potentialat the lead E, then practically all the shuntcurrent excitin' thepressure-fluid magnet will pass throu the disk and give the maximumreaction for light loads It is plain, therefore that with the adjustmentofresistance y means of the movable terminal P moving on the resistancebar or other form oi resistance light load will vary, depending upon therelative distance of said connection P from the terminals L L, thusproviding a very simple and easily-controlled adjustment suflicient forany ordinary friction on light loads and one which will not affect inany way the main adjustment of the motor.

In the drawings, Fig. 2, the shunt-coil cir-v cult V is shown tappedalone by the connection P to the circuit, and the regulator-magnets Gare in an independent connection from eatest effect both the shunt-coiland the regu ator-magnets would be tapped in by connection P, asindicated "in Fig. 1. In the circuit of the magnets G there may beinterposed, as shown, a

down the loss current throughthe coils of said magnet.

To obtain a: simple and easily set adjust ment for heavy loads, Iprovide the following devices whereby the proportion of main cur rentpassing through the portions of the torque-producing'pressure-field'maybe varied. .Fort'his purpose'I provide the additional leads l) D, bywhich'armature-current the compensating effect for mercury and disk woumay be passed in another branch or circuit in shunt to the mainarmature-current fur- The leads D D are applied at such points thatpreferablythe torque produced by that current shall be less than thatroducedby the current flowing from lead 1% to lead E. If all the currententered at E and left at E, the greatest torque for a given strength offield would be produced; but if all the main current passed from D to Dthe tor ue would be much 1ess-say only one-thirdo the maximum.

By adjusting the proportionsof main current passing through the dividedpath, as de scribed, the meter speed can be varied over a very widerange with perfect uniformity.

This adjustment is preferably effected by the use of variable resistancejoining the two,

pairs of lead wires and combined with suitable sliding contacts orterminals M M, ad Conveniently justable over said resistance. thisresistance may be coinlplosed'of a bridge or loop of wire U, upon whaving b preference, a resistance about equal to t e sum of resistances1n the two aroh the slides or riders M are adjustable, said bridge orloop mature-current paths. It is obvious that-one or both sides maybeused to obtain the desired adjustment. If the connection be made atpoints nearer E E, the greater part of the current will pass through turrent path E to E, whereas with the adjustment nearer D and D thegreater part will pass through the other torque-producinarmature-circuit. 1

' It will be understood that the wires U and U and adjustable riders M Mare to be taken as. typical of any adjustable resistance or means forvarying the proportion of current in the two armature-circuit branches.

be varied by having an ordinary shunt from E to E outside the meterdisk-box and of ad-' j ustable resistance; but the troubleWithsuchcompensating shunt of a resistance metal e 11181111,armaturehaving alower or difl'erenttemperature co- I efiicient from thatof the circuit lawhich the torque-producing current flows, as will benow described in two itsspecial applications.

' In a mercury motormeten-for example, of

the type described there isa rather large] temperature error :to beovercome, arising.

As is well known in the art, the speed could from the fact that theshunt or pressure coil would ordinarily be of copper wire, with perhapssome external resistance, e1ther of iron or special resistance wire,whlle the disk itself would be of copper also. Assume that such a meterhas been calibrated at a temperature, say, of 70 Fahrenheit. If thetemperature decreases to 30 Fahrenheit the shunt-coils-will decrease inresistance about eight per cent. Therefore the shunt-field will increaseproportionately. Likewise the disk resistance has decreased, so 'thatthe Foucault currents generated in it by the shunt-field as disk sweepsacross will increase in volume both on account of this lower resistanceand the stronger field. The drive on the disk or torque will onlyincrease on account of the stronger shunt-field, so that the net resultwill be to cause the meter to run perhaps eight to ten per cent. slow.Likewise on an increase in temperature to 110 Fahrenheit the meter willrun about the same proportion fast.

My plan of tem erature compensation is to vary automatica ly theproportion of main current acted upon by the shunt-field, in-

- creasing this on decreasing temperature from the normal, and viceversa.

According to the special plan embpdying the part of my inventionillustrated in Fig. 2 the speed-adjusting means and the correction forchanges of temperature are practically combined, as illustrated in Fig.3. In this case the loops U U are of a resistance metal that has almostno temperature coefficient over a great range.

As before, the main speed adjustment may be had by moving line-taps Mand M along U and U; but the loops or bridges are chosen of such lengththat with proper speed adjustment the taps M and M will always be muchnearer E and E Now assume meter correct Then when tem perature decreasesthe reslstance to the ourand from D to D.

rent along path from E to E will decrease more than that through theloops U and U Hence more current at will flow along the line of maximumtorque from E to E and speed of meter will be increased to compensatefor tendency to run slow; Vice versa, on an increase of temperatureabove the calibration temperature more current will be carried from D toD in ro ortion than from E to E, and meter spee wi 1 decrease so as toremain correct. In place of combining the main load ad- 'ustmentand thetemperature compensation may use the former as first described, having Uand U of copper, so as to vary with temperature like the disk and shuntcoils. Then at all temperatures the relative amounts a given load ofcurrent passing from E to E and D to D than to D and D.-

bridging resistance and means or sweet the special resistance-wirqasabove. Evi

dently if the outside resistance is properly adjusted to the meterresistance from L to L the roportion of current passing through the diskwill be properly variedfor changes in temperature, as the outsideresistance does not chan e.

What claim as my invention is-.

1. The combination in a mercury motormeter, of an armature-circuitadapted to carry the work-current, and a pressure-fieldcoil circuitconnected to such armature-circuit so that more or less of thepressure-current shall pass through the path of the workcurrent in thearmature or disk and produce a light-load starting torque.

2. The combination in a mercury motormeter, of an armature,apressure-field coil having series connection therewith and means forvarying the relative amount of pressure field current passing throughthe armature.

3. In a mercury motor-meter, the combination with an armature-circuitcarrying current varying with the Work, of a pressurefieldcoil circuithaving series connection therewith, and means for varying the proportionof pressure-field -coil current passing through the armature. I

4. In a motor-meter of the type described, the combination with thearmature-circuit,

of a branch around the same, a pressure-fieldcoil circuit and meansforconnecting the terminal. thereof to said branch at different points todetermine the amount of current that sh ll flow through the armature andpressurefie d coil in series to produce the starting torque.

5. In a meter of the type described, the combination of two main-currentarmaturepaths in multiple and in whichthe currents conspire to producerotation and means for adjusting the proportion of current flowingthrough said paths.

6; In a meter of the type described, the combination of two main-currentarmaturepaths in which the currents cons ire to prd duce rotation andmeans for ad justing the proportion of current flowing through said pats.

7. In a mercury motor-meter, the'combination with the mainarmature-circuit, of a supplemental armature-circuit producin a lessertorque and means for changing the distribution of current in saidcircuits to adjust the action of the meter for difierent loads.

8. In a mercury motor-meter having a constant-pressure field-coil of twomain-circuit armature-paths and means for changing the pro ortion ofcurrent flowin pat to adjust the action 0 di'fierent loads.

9 In a mercury motor-meter, the combination with'the two armatureathsof-the adjusting through said the meter for the connection of themeter-circuit with said resistance to vary the distribution of currentin the two paths; i 10. In a mercury motor-meter, the combination of apressure-field coil in which the 5 i and shunt-field coil increasesowing to de- 1 crease of temperature below that for which the meter iscalibrated. I 11. In an electric meter, the combination l with twoarmature-circuits having different torque-producing effects, saidcircuits being connected by loops or branches embodying a metal having alower temperature coefiicient than the armature-paths thefnselves.

12. In a mercury motor-meter", the co1nbination of a torque-producingfield-coil operated by shunt-current, a branch around the motorembodying a metal having a different temperature coefficient than thatof the armature-path and means for connecting the pressure-coil circuitto said branch at. different points to vary the amount of current thatshall produce a light-load or starting torque.

Signed at Springfield, in the county of San-- gainon and State ofIllinois, this 11th day or. February, A. D. 1904.

ROBERT C. LANPI-IIER. Witnesses:

BERTIIA O. LANPHIER, JAooB BUNN.

